


Even the stars (they burn)

by Petr1chor



Category: Buzzfeed Unsolved (Web Series)
Genre: Emotional Hurt/Comfort, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Friends to Lovers, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mutual Pining
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-30
Updated: 2018-12-30
Packaged: 2019-09-30 11:26:21
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,760
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17223164
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Petr1chor/pseuds/Petr1chor
Summary: It hits Shane like a freight train one day.It's not some huge significant moment, it's just Shane making a stupid joke about a dead guy and Ryan looking absolutely betrayed while laughing that full, toothy laugh and Shane thought , shit.**Just a little pining fic.





	Even the stars (they burn)

**Author's Note:**

> My first IRL ship, so bear with me.

It hits Shane like a freight train one day.

It's not some huge significant moment, it's just Shane making a stupid joke about a dead guy and Ryan looking absolutely betrayed while laughing that full, toothy laugh and Shane thought _shit_.

It didn't take long after that for him to piece together that that fluttery feeling he got everytime Ryan laughed or smiled or looked all sleep worn when he just wakes up. It was inconvenient, obviously, but Shane had always been rather reserved, and he didn't think it would be too hard for him to hide his feelings.

He was wrong.

***

It started with the Sallie House.

Everything had been going smoothly until the flashlight incident. Ryan looked pretty shaken up, but he kept going like he always did. It was no secret that he was terrified, it showed in his jerky movements and shallow breathing and in the way he stayed a little too close to Shane to be considered normal.

"You alright there, buddy?"  
"Fine." His tone was clipped and unlike Ryan, Shane realised that that was another sign of his fear.

"Afraid little Sallie's gonna get you?"  
"You wish, sasquatch"  
_I love you_  
"Oh but she isn't very little to you, is she?"  
"5'10"!!!!" Ryan exclaimed, but he couldn't really hide the telltale curve of his lip, and the slight dissipation of the weight in his chest.

Shane smiled, after all, that's all he wanted.

***  
"Ryan. Ryan, wake up."

It was the third time that week that Ryan had fallen asleep at his desk. He had ashy circles under his eyes and his energy seemed to be dwindling. He was obviously under a lot of pressure to keep up with deadlines, and he was also arranging a collab with the Worth It boys, and it was clearly getting to him.  Yet, his messy hair and the soft, worn he wore made Shane's heart clench a little.

Placing the mug he brought with him on the desk, he put his hand on Ryan's shoulder, giving it a little shake, to no avail.

"Ryan," he persisted, "come on, little guy, up."

"Huh...Shane?" His eyes were barely cracked open. "Did I fall asleep again? Shit."

He raised his head, and instantly perked up when he saw the mug. A lazy smile made its way onto his face.  
" You brought me coffee? I knew there was a reason I kept you around."

"It's mint tea. No more coffee for you, Ryan."  
"Spoilsport," he muttered, but looked up and continued, "Seriously though, I have deadlines, Shane, I can't continue without coffee."

"It's 7:30, Ryan, and what you're going to do-" he pushed the mug towards him,"- is drink this tea, grab your jacket, and then I'm driving you home, because I think you'll fall asleep at the wheel if you drive."

"Didn't know you cared, big guy," he teased, nevertheless, he did bring the mug to his lips and take a long sip."Mmm, this is nice. Thanks, Shane."

The smile on his face was unbelievably soft and Shane couldn't help but melt. There was that voice in his head again saying _I love you._

"Someone's gotta take care of your lazy ass."

It took about 20 minutes for Ryan to just finish the mug and gather his things because he was so exhausted that he kept forgetting what he was doing, and Shane just gave him his jacket and grabbed the laptop and papers himself and ushered him towards the elevator.

In another 20 minutes, Ryan was making grabby hands for his laptop, as Shane shooed him away.

"I'm confiscating it till tomorrow morning. You're gonna get some sleep now. Go, go on up."

Ryan accepted defeat and climbed the one flight of stairs to his apartment. He stepped in, and his feet were wet all of a sudden.

"Huh." That was odd. Why were his feet wet?

He called Shane.  
"Everything alright?"  
"My apartment's flooded."

Shane, who had only just left, turned back around. After another half an hour of talking to Ryan's super and dealing with the situation, he had a sleeping Ryan in the passenger seat as he drove him to his own apartment.

He half led, half dragged a semi-asleep Ryan into the lift and into his apartment.

Thankfully, Ryan pulled off his clothes and put on the tshirt Shane gave him that had _Boogara_  printed on the front.

The fact that the shirt fell below the hem of his boxers and the sleeves had to be rolled thrice didn't cause a hitch in Shane's breath. Not at all.

When Ryan protested, blearily about taking the couch, Shane just gently pushed him down onto the bed.

"You're tiny, we can share."

So maybe Shane spent a good hour watching his best friend mumble softly in his sleep. _Friends do that right?_  And if he woke up hard and aching with Ryan's back pressed against his chest, no one needed to know.

***

Shane had just meant it as a joke.

They were at yet another location, and Ryan seemed more riled up than usual. But not as much as the Sallie House, Shane used that as reference, now.

They were headed towards the basement, which, apparently, had the most paranormal activity, and Ryan was slowly gravitating closer and closer to him.

"Ryan, chill, dude."

He volunteered to go first, when they had to be locked in the basement closet.

Shane had meant it as a joke, when he yelled as if he was in pain and then made a choking noise. That's just what he did, he tried to diffuse the situation with humour. He meant it as a _joke._

What he didn't expect was the closet door being yanked open and a terrified Ryan Bergara, holy water in hand, looking like he was ready to fight whatever ghost, demon or spirit would dare touch his best friend.

When Ryan realised what happened, he clenched his jaw. Shane looked his stiff jaw, his glare and his wet eyes that were quickly pooling.

"Fuck you, Shane."  
"Ry, shit," he went forward and put his hand on Ryan's cheek , "I'm sorry, shit, _I'm sorry_ , Ry."

Ryan clenched his fists in Shane's shirt and touched his forehead to his chest. Shane slipped his arms around him, mumbling _I'm so sorry_  into his hair.

Ryan sniffled, and gently punched him in the chest.

"Dick move, Shane."  
"I know, I'm sorry"  
"Just for that, drinks are on you tonight."  
_I love you. I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry._

At that, their camera man whooped, reminding Shane that they were still filming, and he did all he could to mask the clearly anguished expression on his face, and pull away from the embrace.

That episode got the highest rating all season.

***

They were having an end of season party at the BuzzFeed office and everyone was just a little tipsy.

Somebody had started making peppermint breezers and Shane had had one too many. He felt warm and sated and pleasantly buzzed  as he sprawled across the couch in break room.

Across from him, Sara and Jen were trying to coax Ryan into getting a makeover. He was smiling, happy, blindingly so, and he agreed because no one can say no to Sara's puppy eyes.

It was melodic almost, the buzz of Zack singing a little too off tune, and Ryan laughing and the girls cursing as their tipsy hands failed to wing Ryan's eyeliner perfectly.

Steven and Andrew were on the other couch, a little too close for friends. Steven was smiling softly.

 _Good for them,_  Shane thought.

Sara jumped up, a swayed slightly, smiling. She grabbed Ryan by the bicep and pulled him up.

_Wow_

Ryan had eyeliner on which made his eyes look wider and more brown. His lips were shiny, he wasn't really sure with what.

Sara piped up, "What do you think of my masterpiece?"

Shane was just buzzed enough to say, "What a pretty boy."

Ryan instantly looked downward, his cheeks colouring and the tips of his ears growing hot.  
_Wow, you're so beautiful, I love you, I have to see that more often._

***

It was a Christmas party, even though it was 20th December, because everyone was leaving town within the next few days and they wanted to celebrate together before leaving. But _somebody_ (Jen) flooded the entire first floor of the office and everyone seemed pretty bummed that they had to cut the party short.

Shane lived closest, so he offered to have everyone over.

Currently, they had pushed all the furniture to the sides and had turned the floor into an impromptu dance floor.

Never much of a dancer, Shane was perched on the grey loveseat that had been pushed to the corner, with his legs crossed and arm over the back of it.

Ryan bounded over, every bit the dancer, and threw himself unceremoniously onto the loveseat.  
" Hey there, big guy!"  
"Hey, Ryan, why'd you stop dancing?"

"There's this thumping noise, can you hear it? I _need_  to know what it is. Do you know what it is?"  
"Uuuh....Andrew trying to do the Cha Cha Slide?"

Ryan smacked his arm, " The _other_  thumping noise!"  
"Oh, oh right, that's my upstairs neighbour. Awfully noisy guy."

At that Ryan's eyes grew wide and excited.  
"What if-" he began, and then paused dramatically, "- you find out you have no upstairs neighbours at all...and your apartment is haunted."

Shane let out a sudden burst of laughter because _that's so ridiculous and ofcourse you'd think of that because you're ridiculous and no, I don't have neighbours I have a ghost infestation, ofcourse you'd think that you ridiculous human being and when did my arm slip from the back of the couch onto your shoulder-_  
"I love you."  
He didn't even realise he said it out loud till he heard Ryan gasp, and all of a sudden that warm in his chest was replaced by fear and-  
"I love you, too"

Shane didn't think he heard it right, and his mind was having a hard time catching up.  
"What?"

Ryan's smile was soft and painfully fond.  
"Ofcourse I love you, sasquatch, how could I not?"

With that Ryan leaned up, and presses his lips to his in a soft, barely there kiss.

Shane felt light and happy and they'd probably have to talk this over later on. But for now, he was happy to just sit there, with the boy he loved in his arms watching his friends dance, and feeling love blooming in his heart.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> Let me know what you think :)


End file.
